The Wii certainly has its share of useless ‘shells’ for the Wii remote: tennis rackets and golf clubs for Wii Sports, and “Cooking Mother” (oh puh-lease) spatula and frying pan attachments for Cooking Mama. Now, finally, there’s a shell that’s actually fairly useful with the B.O.S.S Controller from Performance Designed Products (PDP).

B.O.S.S. stands for Big Oversized Super Shell. It attaches to the top of your Wii remote easily so you can play games that require you to hold the remote sideways. The ergonomic shape is similar to the Classic Controller. There are holes in the shell so you can still point the remote at the TV, hear the remote speaker, and see the battery light.

It’s obvious they made the B.O.S.S. Controller with the recently released New Super Mario Bros. Wii in mind. The multicolored lettering looks just like the Super Mario logo, and the shells come in four different bright colors: red, green, blue, and yellow. But the shell is also good for other Virtual Console and Wii titles that have you hold the remote sideways as well, like Klonoa.

The only problem with the B.O.S.S Controller is that sometimes it feels as if you need to press down harder on the buttons, considering that you’re using pass-through mechanisms to press a button on a button. Gamers who have a light touch on the controller may need some adjustment while using these. While the shell doesn’t necessarily make the slippery controls in New Super Mario Bros. Wii any easier, it’s a decent enough alternative for games that don’t support the Classic Controller attachment (which I prefer).

Kid Factor:

The big buttons and shape of the B.O.S.S. Controller are perfect for little hands, and it can help protect your Wii remote, too! Since it comes in multiple colors, the shell can be a great way to keep track of your controllers if you have multiple remotes. At only ten bucks a pop, they also make good stocking stuffers for your little gamers this Christmas.